Meralco Bolts is one of the 12 professional franchises that are taking part in the Philippines Basketball Association currently. PBA Meralco started its journey in the league back in 2010 and since then has performed well coming so close to winning the PBA Championship but being denied in the finals 4 times. This blog will analyze the PBA Meralco Bolts team owners and fan support, alongside their current roster, team management & coaching staff, and recent performance in the PBA competitions for the last few years.
Meralco Bolts Team Overview:
Meralco Bolts is currently owned by the Manila Electric Company (MERALCO) and they won the bidding rights in 2010. Previously, this team was named Sta. Lucia Realtors was initially established in 1993 and went on to compete in the PBA till 2010. Manila Electric Company is under the ownership of Manuel V. Pangilinan who is currently the owner of 2 other PBA teams the NLEX Road Warriors and the TNT Tropang Giga.
This team has its official mascot which is named "Biboy Liwanag" and he became the mascot in 2010 when Meralco Bolts made their debut in the PBA. This team proudly wears jerseys of Navy Blue, Orange, and White Color. The Light uniform of this team consists of white and red color, the Dark uniform has Navy Blue and White color, and the Alternate Uniform has red color as main with navy blue stripes
If you are interested in PBA news about teams, you can read other articles in All PBA Results of this blog.
Current Squad of PBA Meralco Bolts 2023-2024:
Here is the current roster of Meralco Bolts that will participate in the 2023-24 season of PBA competitions.
| Pos. | POB | Name | Height | Weight | DOB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | Philippines | Black, Aaron | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 1996–12–03 |
| G | U.S.A | Lofton, Zach | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 1992–11–18 |
| G | Philippines | Dario, Diego | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | 145 lb (66 kg) | 1997–01–06 |
| G | U.S.A | Jackson, Shean | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | x |
| G | U.S.A | Banchero, Chris | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | 1989–01–24 |
| F | U.S.A | Hodge, Cliff | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | 1988–02–03 |
| G/F | U.S.A | Newsome, Chris | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 1990–07–25 |
| G | Philippines | Caram, Anjo | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) | 159 lb (72 kg) | 1991–01–14 |
| G/F | Philippines | Quinto, Bong | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | x | 1994–12–15 |
| C | Philippines | Almazan, Raymond | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 194 lb (88 kg) | 1989–08–02 |
| G/F | Philippines | Maliksi, Allein | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 1987–09–18 |
| G/F | Philippines | Pasaol, Alvin | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | 1995–05–06 |
| F | Philippines | Jose, Raymar | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | 1992–08–06 |
| G/F | Philippines | Rios, Jansen | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 1991–10–28 |
| F/C | Canada | Torres, Norbert | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 250 lb (113 kg) | 1990–01–12 |
| F/C | U.S.A | Pascual, Kyle | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | 1990–04–13 |
| C | Australia | Bates, Brandon | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 231 lb (105 kg) | x |
Current PBA Meralco Bolts Coaching Staff & Management:
The following table lists the technical team including coaches and managers of Meralco Bolts for the PBA Championship 2023-24.
| Staff Member | Position |
|---|---|
| Norman Black | Head Coach |
| Ronnie Magsanoc | Assistant Coach |
| Gene Afable | Assistant Coach |
| Luigi Trillo | Assistant Coach |
| Patrick Roy Fran | Assistant Coach |
| Charles Tiu | Assistant Coach |
| Al Panlilio | General Manager |
| Betty Siy-Yap | Assistant General Manager |
| Ryan Gregorio | Assistant General Manager |
| Paolo Trillo | Team Manager |
Meralco Bolts standings in PBA competitions for the last 5 Years:
Here is the overview of the recent performances of the Meralco Bolts basketball team in the PBA Competitions over the last five years.
| Season | League | Record | Placement |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-2024 | PBA - Commissioners Cup | 6-2 | N/A |
| 2023-2024 | PBA - Philippine Cup | - | N/A |
| 2022-2023 | PBA - Commissioners Cup | 4-8 | 10th |
| 2022-2023 | PBA - Governors Cup | 9-7 | 3rd |
| 2022-2023 | PBA - Philippine Cup | 12-9 | 3rd |
| 2018-2019 | PBA - Commissioners Cup | 4-8 | 9th |
| 2018-2019 | PBA - Governors Cup | 13-9 | 2nd |
| 2018-2019 | PBA - Philippine Cup | 3-8 | 11th |
Fans Support for the Meralco Bolts team:
In the PBA Meralco Bolts has garnered a certain fan base due to its performance in the League since its debut. They have been a consistent team throughout the seasons they participated and reached the finals on four occasions but missed out on all of them.
These were heartbreaking moments for the team and their fans but they are still behind their team. The official social media accounts of Meralco Bolts boast a great followership, especially on Facebook where they have more than 30k followers.
If you are interested in PBA news about teams, you can read other articles in All PBA Results of this blog.
Meralco Bolts Achievements in the PBA:
Since 2010, Meralco Bolts have competed in each competition held by the Philippines Basketball Association. They have performed quite decently in each competition whether it is the Commissioner’s Cup, the Philippine Cup, or the Governer’s Cup, and reached the finals 4 times but unfortunately could not win each time.
Currently, they have no PBA Championship to their name, however, the previous franchise of Merlaco Bolts, Sta. Lucia Realtors was one of the most successful teams in the PBA during its tenure. They won the championships on multiple occasions that been discussed below.
| PBA | PBL (3) |
|---|---|
| 2 championships | 1990: PBA Philippine Cup |
| 2001: PBA Governors' Cup | 1992: PBAMaharlika Cup |
| 2007–08: PBA Philippine Cup | 1994: PBA Reinforced Conference |
| 3 Finals Appearances | x |
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